"'Costume Party of Our Lives": A Vintage Fashion Feature

It was an utter honour and total thrill to be featured on the front of the Style section of the Edmonton Journal last week, as part of an article about local vintage lovers!  Below is a scan of the feature and here is a link to the article online!

Adeline's Birthday Sale

To celebrate the memory of my beloved grandmother, Adeline, on what would have been her birthday, all items in my etsy shop are 25% off until Monday, using coupon code ADELE1.  Have a great weekend! (Adele is the one, at left).

The New Spring Mode: A Dreamy Lookbook by machinedance vintage and Brooksy Hats

I've posted about the dreamy creations of Brooksy Hats before.  Well, wait until you see her collaboration with machinedance vintage.  All I can say is: SWOON!  Inspired by the kodachrome film and photography of the late 1920s and early 1930s, their Lookbook is definitely the stuff my dreams are made of!  Brava, ladies! This is the kind of thing that inspire my own vintage style and shop. Hoping to be involved in similar local projects this spring and summer!

Twice Blessed

What a 40th birthday treat! While out antiquing on the momentous occasion, I happened to find a rare 1930s crocheted dress + matching slip. I had assumed it was shop-bound, until I discovered it was my size! Swoon! Two years ago, I found a deadstock 1930s gown, so I guess I've been twice blessed by the vintage birthday fairy!

Over the Moon: Nicoletta & Maxwell

I'm over the moon to see this photo from the recent Cicada Club wedding of Nicoletta and Maxwell, as one of the two vintage gowns the bride wore for her Old Hollywood wedding affair was this 1930s satin gown from Adeline's Attic Vintage!  Congrats, you two!  Watch for more photos of the wedding over at D Park Photography's blog.

Besame's Beauteous Brightening Violet Powder

I have been a fan of Besame cosmetics for some time now, so I am surprised it took me this long to try the Brightening Violet Powder. Now, I cannot go without it (as well as the Merlot lipstick)!  Great product, dreamy scent, and fantastic packaging.  What's in your beauty arsenal, gals?

Image Source: Besame Cosmetics

A Real Ringer

Still swooning over the results of my recent collaboration with the immensely talented and dreamy Hello June Photography for Adeline's Attic Vintage.   Everyone involved just "got" what I was hoping for, stylistically. Look how perfectly model/makeup artist Aki, and photographer Safauna embodied the 30s aesthetic through hair, makeup, lighting, pose, overall composition?? Doesn't Aki look like the twin of the Rolf Armstrong image dug up by my friend, the Sydney Flapper?  While I'm on the subject of the make-up, a shout out to Besame Cosmetics. We used the brightening violet powder and Merlot lipstick from this brand for the look, and since I'm a loyal wearer of this brand, I was unsurprised that the results for the shoot were stunning. Swoon!

Brooksy's Beautiful Bandeaux

Although I love my growing collection of authentic vintage 20s headwear, I do love a lovely repro., and these beautiful 1920s-inspired bandeaux by Broosky Hats on etsy have definitely caught my eye and stolen my heart! I'm eyeing the Hazel, though I adore the boudoir bandeau, too! This shop also has 20s style cloches, 30s style berets, and 40s style turban hats!  Swoon!

Living on Velvet

Just added these vintage velvet stunners (one from the early 20s, the other from the late 30s) to the shop

Bye to the Baroness, Hello June, and Attending to the Attic

As my new blog header hopefully suggests, I'm making some changes to this space to reflect the fact that my focus these days is on being a vintage seller and stylist, rather than purely a vintage fashion blogger.  This means that I am going to be continuing to now use the blog more as a professional space for Adeline's Attic Vintage, though I may throw in a few good old fashioned vintage outfit posts for good measure, now and then.  For now, I have to extend huge thanks to the incredibly talented Safauna of Hello June Photography for making my vintage aesthetic dreams come true today, through the creation of my stunning new blog and shop header!  She also worked with me to snap some great photos of vintage 20s, 30s, and 40s garments which are going into my shop shortly!  Props to Danger Delux, Aki, and Chantel for exquisite modelling, and extra thanks to Aki for hair and makeup work on the shoot!  I'm a happy happy camper! More images from the shoot shortly!

Beach Pajamas Amongst the Blossoms

Long-time followers of my blog will recall how much I adore 1930s beach pajamas.  Imagine my joy when I happened upon an intact 3-piece set, consisting of a hat, bolero, and really cool trousers in my friend's etsy shop (GarbOhVintage)!  I hope to do a full post on these at the lake this summer, but this set is so comfy and outlandishly cute, I couldn't resist wearing it for a spin in the garden.

The Baronial Brag Book (and a Big Batch of Gratitude)

As I am moving forward and embarking on a new 'vintage adventure,' in the form of my business partnership with The Moon River Mercantile Co. (we're on Etsy too) I foresee that this blog space will be in for some changes to put it more in line with the new shop, both in style and in content. I feel like my own personal vintage style has been evolving and will continue to do so, as well.  Stay tuned, as it becomes clearer what new direction I will take this blog space.

I will soon share with you some images of our new vintage showroom; however, even while I look to the present and the future, I feel like now is a good time to revisit the wonderful projects, experiences, and accomplishments which my vintage fashion blog has afforded me over the past FOUR years.  So, forgive me if this comes across as bombastic, but I feel like it's so easy to get caught up in feeling like I am not doing enough that I need to sometimes stop and do an auto-pat on the back for the things that I *have* seen to fruition.  Consider this my blogger's CV, if you will.  Again, I want to thank those of you who have remained my loyal and patient followers and friends, as I've weathered the peaks and valleys of the past few years.

• I was asked by vintage-repro label Able Grable to design and then model an early 1930s style dress that went on to be dubbed the "Vintage Baroness."

• I was elated to be named Queen of Vintage #65!

• I really enjoyed doing a fashion history article for the SiW Costumers' Journal. Watch for more of my fashion history writings in the future!  

• I got featured in a book called Wearable Vintage Fashion.

• I was honoured to be featured in a "Profiles in Style" piece for Lily Lemontree

• An image of me in 20s garb won the right to a feature at the front of a "Gatsby" photo album on the People Magazine website:

• I worked as a vintage music correspondent for The Glamourous Housewife

• I served as Artistic Director, Head Stylist, and Photographer for a shop photoshoot at Rutherford House. I've since done several other shoots, vintage stylings, and fashion history consultations. Looking forward to doing more of such things, including consult work for a film project slated to be filmed locally this fall!

Lately:

• I was included in a list of 10 amazing vintage bloggers.
• One of my vintage dresses is going to be featured in the May 2014 issue of Flare magazine.

Along my journey, I have been able to meet some really interesting people. Some meetings led to friendships that I know will flourish for years to come; sadly, I had to let a few others fizzle, but on the whole, what a marvellous set of experiences I've had. Looking forward to a new chapter in the book of my vintage-loving life!

Hanging on the Queen Mary in California with Beth of V is for Vintage and Lauren of Wearing History

The Best Laid Plans

Gaffs and glitches prevented me from doing a promotional post for a local NYE party, so I leave you with this 1930s inspired instagram pic showcasing a couple of items from Adeline's Attic Vintage and The Moon River Mercantile Co.!  Happy New Year, darlings!!

Kay Petre: Colenimo A/W 2013

With contemporary fashion collections, I'm almost always too late to the party.  I only juuuust discovered Colenimo's A/W 2013 collection. If you follow my blog, you know I've featured Colenimo collections before (here, here,  and here)....my reason being that the designer seems to perennially return to 1930s themes or women for inspiration.  The A/W collection was inspired by 1930s Canadian-born race car driver, Kay Petre. I must say I'm digging the outerwear!!  

(Beach) Pajama Party in the Suburbs

Despite my deco dreaming, at the end of the day, the reality is that, for now at least, I'm just a landlocked prairie girl from the suburban wilds of Edmonton.  That didn't stop me from bringing 30s beach style to the North side today in the form of my newly acquired deadstock 30s beach pyjamas.  I wore them while working on listings in my shop and I have to say I really dig my new work "uniform." SOMEDAY, maybe they'll get taken for a spin at one of the local beaches (Sylvan Lake, perhaps)? In the mean-time, these jazzy babies are rocking' the suburbs!

Fort Edmonton Fun Day

A couple of weekends ago, my pal Erin and I spent the day touring Fort Edmonton Park on its opening day. What a whole lot of old fashioned fun!  Here are a few snaps of the day:

Outfit:

1930s knitted sporty sweater: etsy

1930s crocheted hat: minesies

1930s style skirt: nudeedudee

Red 'siesta' shoes: Miss L Fire

Tea with the Vintage Baroness, Birthday Edition: Part Two

I couldn't resist sharing a few more of my favourite images of we members of the Alberta Vintage Roses group at Rutherford House, just before my vintage birthday high tea.

1930s yellow crocheted cardigan from Top Tottie; 1930s blue hat, Montreal; 1930s crochet gauntlet gloves, Elizabeth's Antique & Collectibles Show; nudeedudee skirt; Remix "It Girl" shoes

Erin, Laurie, Bailey

Flirty 30s Frou Frou

People often ask me how I can part with all the lovely vintage things I source from my shop or cull from my collection.  My answer is that it takes a lot of tough love and restraint not to hoard it all. Once in a while, I *do* keep what I find because they feel like a gift from the vintage gods. An adorable 30s blouse and deco hat found me in Montreal and probably my favourite find to date, a DEADSTOCK 1930s gown + slip set with 'birthday cake' colours and 3-D blue flowers, followed me home yesterday.  Which of these fabulously 'frou frou' lovelies shall I wear to my birthday party today? Stay tuned! What's YOUR favourite vintage find?

Back in the (Sugar) Swing of Things

Last night, my lovely new friend Erin, the blogger behind My Twelve Cents' Worth, and I danced our socks off at the amazing Sugar Swing Ballroom. The joint was so jumping they had a line up of people waiting outside to get a chance to dance!!  Kind thanks to the person who snapped this cute photo of us, which I've dubbed: "Imagining 1930s Mildred Pierce and 1950s Mrs. Draper in the same typing pool," and the Sugar Swing photog who caught an image of me mid-dance :). Yay! Such fun to be back in the "swing" of things where my dancing passion is concerned! I leave off with a link to a fun video showcasing some of the more advanced dancers at the Sugar Swing School. Something to aspire to this spring and summer!

My outfit: 1930s style blouse (made using 30s fabric, buttons, and buckle): Nudeedudee; 1930s skirt: Swish Vintage. Erin tells me her very authentically 1950s looking ensemble, including fabulous floral blouse and black circle skirt are entirely repro! This lady knows how to put together a swinging' dance ensemble!  

Image courtesy of Sugar Swing Dance Club